Antimicrobial/antibacterial compositions include materials which have the ability to disinfect. It is generally recognised that a disinfecting material greatly reduces or even eliminates the microorganisms, e.g., bacteria, existing on a surface. For example compositions based on quaternary ammonium compounds have been extensively described in the art for disinfecting purpose.
Although such disinfecting compositions provide acceptable disinfecting properties they do not encounter good acceptance amongst the consumers who are looking for disinfecting compositions based on safer and less harsh chemicals.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide compositions which are effective disinfectants on various surfaces, and which are safe to the surfaces treated and the environment.
It has now been found that this can be achieved by formulating an essential oil or an active thereof in the form of a microemulsion having droplets dispersed in an aqueous phase, said droplets comprising said essential oil or an active thereof, and said droplets having a particle size of less than 100 nm. Indeed, it has surprisingly been found that improved disinfecting performance is provided with a microemulsion of the present invention, as compared to a similar composition which is not in the form of a microemulsion as defined in the present invention.
Thus, in its broadest embodiment the present invention encompasses the use of a microemulsion comprising a surfactant, an aqueous phase and droplets dispersed in said aqueous phase, said droplets comprising an essential oil or an active thereof, and said droplets having a particle size of less than 100 nanometers, for disinfecting a surface. The present invention also encompasses a microemulsion suitable for disinfecting a surface comprising a surfactant, an aqueous phase comprising a bleach, preferably a peroxygen bleach, and droplets dispersed in said aqueous phase, said droplets comprising an essential oil or an active thereof, and said droplets having a particle size of less than 100 nanometers.
An advantage of the present invention is that effective disinfecting performance is delivered on a broad range of bacterial strains including Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains but also more resistant micro-organisms like fungi, even at high dilution levels, e.g., up to dilution levels of from 1:100 (microemulsion:water).
Another advantage of the present invention is that besides the disinfection properties delivered, good cleaning is also provided as the microemulsions herein comprise at least one surfactant and optionally a solvent.
Also the microemulsions according to the present invention are suitable for disinfecting various surfaces including animate surfaces (e.g. human skin and/or mouth) as well as inanimate surfaces. Indeed, this technology is particularly suitable in hard-surfaces applications, laundry applications, e.g., in a so-called "soaking mode", "through the wash mode" and/or "pretreatment mode", as well as in carpet applications and the like.